In January of 2004,Mark
Davis conducted an interview with Good
Guys artist Greg
Boone!

The interview has been donated to The
Unofficial
Archive of Defiant Comics so that it can be shared
with fans here!

Our first exclusive interview is with professional artist and creator
Greg
Boone. Greg drew "Good Guys" #4-10, (10 was never published)
and
lists several Valiant comics among his credits.

Q: Greg, how did you break
into comics?

GREG: Well, I didn't break
into comics. I came from
8 years in journalism. I worked for the Gannett News Service,
same
company that puts out USA Today. I did tons of cartoons,
sports,
lifestyle, maps, graphics for them and then just up and published my
own
comic. It was just when the old black and white independent
boom
of the 80's hit. Lots of comic companies sprung up and put
out any
shlock they could. People told me I was crazy because nothing
was
selling but I did it anyway. I sold 12,000 copies in less
than 5
days. From there I just chilled out and people kept calling
me
and inviting me to do comics. I didn't want to work in
mainstream
comics because the stuff was too chintzy. So I spent several
years
having fun working independently, meeting other comics people, studying
comics etc. I would spend the time creating new characters
and experimenting
with them. I had the best of both worlds as I do
now. I make
money doing comics and stay away from the mainstream shlock.

Q: Monster Posse looks
fun! Could you talk a bit
about that?

GREG: Monster Posse is
based on the stories of 'aliens'
who've visited Earth over the course of human history. In my
story
these aliens are juvenile delinquents find the Earth 'the hang' for
their
mischevious doings. It's top secret stuff so the government
relies
on the adult aliens who use 'truant' robots to apprehend the kids and
send
them back to school. In my story 4 of these kids arrive
accidentally
and team up with other aliens and humans to rid the world of 'naughty'
aliens and defend humanity from other outworldly menaces. At
present,
Platinum Studios has acquired the rights to develop it into
tv/film.

Q: Who are some of the most
talented creators you've worked
with, and why?

GREG: Oh I've met an army
of talented people. Grey,
my best pal in comics stands above the rest. He's a great man
of
awesome talent and integrity. He never turns a person away
who needs
help. He's one of the top 3 illustrators in American history
for
my money. I've also met/worked with childhood favorites like
Steve
Ditko, Dave Cockrum, Alan Weiss, Mike Chen, Brad Vancatta, Lou Small
Jr.,
David Lapham, Adam Pollina, Don Perlin, Bob Layton. Those are
the
artists to name a few.

Q: I always liked "The
Good Guys." Did you?

GREG: The "Good Guys" was a
real challenge. I wasn't
supposed to be working on it. I got involved with DEFIANT
when my friend
Grey and several DEFIANT staff called me in to help out when the
company
was launching. The staff there were facing many challenges
and because
I knew Grey, the original penciller, I figured it would be a great
excuse
to hang out in Manhatten and hit the restaurants. I got to
meet Jim
Shooter, Janet 'Jay Jay' Jackson and see the development of
the DEFIANT
universe which wasn't a bad universe at all as comics go. The
Good
Guys, however was an anchor book for DEFIANT. It had 8 kids
who were
all 'real' kids who had won the contest to portray
superheroes. So
not only was it a 'group' book, with umpteen characters and props and
costumes
to keep track of, but I had to be a portrait artist as well.
Very
demanding and I was the only fool,fool enough to take on the
assignment.
Nobody wants that kind of worst-case-scenario but I live for a
challenge
and believe you me it was and fun 100% of the way. I was able
to
take comics in a classical direction instead of the 'big guns' nonsense
of that era. Real heartwarming and intrinsic storytelling to
great
stories. I liked that Jim Shooter and Jay Jay could see what
I was
doing and appreciated it. One story was for Good Guys #5 that
Jay
Jay came up with. A very, very powerful story about bullies
and women's
self defense. It had a fight scene in it that other artists
shamelessly
copied so many times it was pathetic. Funny how the rip-off
artists
got more famous than me for ripping off my fight scenes!

Q: What are you currently
working on?

GREG: I'm back to doing
comic books again after stepping
away in '97. My last series was for Tekno Comic's " Neil
Gaimen's
Lady Justice." Did 3 issues of that. Comics got so
lame by
that time and the companies in such trouble it wasn't worth wasting my
time with constantly failing endeavors by these people. The
business
model of comics from then til now was so entrenched in backwards
thinking
that I had to look for alternative methods of producing. I
saw the
value of the internet wayyyy back. Even before it became the
big
monster it is now and every year it gets better for me as a book
publisher.
If one studies the various computer graphics programs, the online
marketing
techniques, one's overhead is so low with just a few advertisers one
can
launch a series already in the black. No need for comic
distributors
or hands-tied retailers worried if the book will be worth it.
So
for me, I have a series from a friend, a former Marvel exec, I've been
busy with this past year but had to put on hold due to 3 family
tragedies
I had over the past 6 months, but that series is gonna be a major
winner
when I'm done with it. I've also got 3 graphic novels, one
featuring
my most popular character "Evol Baby" which got it's start in 'Thrasher
Magazine' over 14 years ago. I have so many people who loved
'Evol
Baby' growing up, it's a sure bet. So I'll be bringing him
and "Monster
Posse" and several other projects to the plate. Matter of
fact, 'Evol
Baby' and another one of my old skateboard comics 'RADREX' were also
picked
up for film/tv development by Danny Simmons of 'Def Comedy Jam/Def
Poetry'
shows on HBO. So I've got 3 properties sewed up and more on
the way.
I also have online comics.